d'un état bienveillant de la nature à un état hostile et meurtrier

[Pompe]

Hi,

I have problems understanding the following sentence: un état bienveillant de la nature à un état hostile et meurtrier.
I know the words one by one, but they doesn't make any sense to me put together in a sentence....

Anyone who could help me, SVP?

 

[guillaumedemanzac]

context???
????? (changing from) a natural benevolent state to a hostile and murderous state ??? state of mind or of conditions of existence ????
guillaume

 

[Pompe]

I'm supposed to answer questions from a book, the entire question is: " On assiste dans le chapitre au passage d'un état bienveillant de la nature à un état hostile et meurtrier. Motivez cette affirmation à partir d'exemples relevés dans le récit."

But I have a problem with answering since I don't get the question... The context is that the hero was having a nice time, when suddenly something terrible happens, he did something terrible. So I suppose that your translations make sense!?
//pompe

 

[guillaumedemanzac]

We see in this chapter (of the book) the movement from a happy contented state of mind to a hostile and murderous state of mind. Justify this statement with examples from the story.
Chapter is not clear to me ??? Which chapter?? and whose state ???? the hero?? the enemy??? the environment/scene???
But I think that's what it means. The trouble with critics and teachers and examiners is that they are often failed writers and don't explain things clearly.
guillaume

 

[Jasmine tea]

Rousseau for example thought that man was "good" by nature. His nature being genuine, the environment only made him bad... Other authors do not agree. Probably the text you have to analyze shows the versatility (or emotional instability) of the hero... And there may be some kind of "personnification de la nature", for example a sweet breeze turning into an agressive and violent wind...

I hope this helps, and that it does apply to your context (according to your text).

 

[Maped40]

Maybe it would help if you told us what book it is.
To me "la nature" here means the natural environment (yet guillaumedemanzac might be right, we need the context to make sure).
I suppose initially the natural environment appeared friendly/benevolent, then it became hostile as bad things started to happen.

 

[Pompe]

Thanks a lot for all your help! With the context, all your explainations make sense - so thanks again! : )

 

[lucas-sp]

Just a note: the phrase "state of nature" should stick together and not vary in English. That's the phrase we use for this lovely Enlightenment idea, and we don't inflect it or alter it.